Process and apparatus for making confections



July 24, 1923. v L

mLs.cLoUD PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING CONFE-GTIONS Filed may 2,192s s sheets-sheet 1 muhnllmll 1 l .my 24, w23. 3,462,883

VV. S. CLOUD PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING CONFECTIONS Filed May 2.1923 3 Sheets-Sheew?l 2 July 4, 1923. m42-@83 W. S. CLOUD PROCESS ANDAPPARATUS FOR MAKING CONFEC-TIONS Filed May 2. 1923 3 Sheets- Sheet 5ilu I MIK I 'Patented Juiy 24, 1923 WILLIAM s. CLOUD, oF PEORIA,ILLINoIs, AssIGNoR To JAMES D. RoszELL, or PnoRIA,

, ILLINOIS. p

`ritocEss AND APPARATUS Application led May 2,

1o all 'whom i may concern Be it known that'I,-WILLIAM S. CLOUD, a

citizen of the United States, a resident of` iIllinois, have inventednew and useful Im-` provements in Processes and' Apparatus for MakingConfections, of which the following is a specification. This inventionhas reference to a process andapparatus for making confections.

There are certain types of confections, which are now and for sometimehave been very popular7 such for instance as Milk-nut roll-PecanrollCocoanut roll- Raisin roll and the like; all preferably made with asuitable center covered with caramel or other material, the nuts orraisins, with a finishing coating of chocolate, if desired. So far as Iam aware all such confections have been made by hand, or hand dipped,which is both inconvenient and expensive, making it difficult to producethe article in a five-cent piece, which has proven to be the mostdesirable, vfrom a sales viewpoint, These pieces have a certainspecified weight and it is therefore obvious that con trol must be hadof each of the component parts of the piece vand that weights of theingredien'ts and temperatures of the coverings, such as caramel andchocolate enter largely into the ultimate cost of the finished article.Hand-dipping requires not lonly a cooling room adequate for the numberof employees necessary, together with avlarge number -of expensivescales to weigh the individual pieces, but because of the difliculty.experienced in handling the caramel and the dipping of the individualcenters therein and` removal of the same, which practically pre' 4.0Vents the control of the heat of the caramel, it has proven difficult toproduce by hand y' dipping an inexpensive piece. By the use of myprocess and apparatus, the cooling room and scales for weighing theindividual pieces, as they are covered with nuts, cocoanut or raisinshave been eliminated; the temperaure of the caramel. controlled, and thecovering of the caramel coated centers uniformly covered with nuts,cocoanut or raisins, so that all the articles are made substantiallyalike and substantially the same weight. Furthermore, handling of thepieces by hand is to a large extent done away with FOR MAIBINGrCONFECTIONS.

EHU

1923. seriai No) 636,071.

that the entire coated surface of the articles shall be covered. Thefinished or semi-finished articles, as the case may be, being conveyedfrom the'apparatus, and the surplus and unused nuts, cocoanut, raisinsor the like conveyed 'to a point for a re-showering of further centers.The process being continuously carried on, as will be inferred. By theuse of the terms finished or semi-finished, articles, I mean articleswhich are finished with a covering of nuts, cocoanut,`

raisins or the like, or after the nuts, cocoanut, raisins or the likehave been put on, then covered with a finishing coating or covering ofchocolate. I have not shown nor do I include'the chocolate finishingstep, as it forms. no part of this invention, being done by'htheordinary and well known enrobing machines used by manufacturers ofvcandies and confections for many years.

That thc invention may be more fully understood, reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a art of this application, illustrating apreferred ,embodiment of apparatus, in which Figure l is a sideelevation of an appa-v ratus embodying my invention, suitable for thecarrying out of my improvedprocess, parts being broken away, 'and thefeeding means to the caramel coating or covering means, being partlyshown in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a part of the apparatus and would extendfrom the left hand end of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a partial plan view of the delivery end of Figure l;

Figure 4 isa detail in side elevation of the caramel vcoating means,nut, cocoanut -or` raisin delivering means and tumbling means;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view, as

lure 4, with the fee sponding parts throughout the figures.

To a full and complete understanding of the use ofthe process andapparatus, reference will be first made to the confection to loeproduced. ln Figure 8 there is shown a candy center or core A, which maybe soft,` semi-hard or hard, as niay be desirab-lerlhis core forms thebase to be covered with-` caramel, then nuts, cocoanut or raisins, and'LV nally covered with a coating of chocolate,l if desired. Figure 9shows the core A, eni, robed or covered with a caramel coating B. Figure10 shows the caramel coated core or center coated with nuts C.@rdinarily the pieces are made with peanuts and the final articlecovered, coated or enrobed with a chocolate coating D. Such an articleis then sold asia Milk-nut roll. instead of peanuts, pecans, raisins orcocoanut could be used. Usually when the caramel coated core is coveredwith pecans, the article is sold as a Pecan-roll 4without the finalchocolate covering. llt should therefore, be apparent that the characterof the finished confection may vary in accordance with the wishes of themanufacturer and vdemands of the trade.

ln the drawings, the caramel E is con-` tained within a jacketed heatedtank or receptacle 1, supported by a suitable frame work 2, an inlet 3being provided on the tank through which the caramel is poured into thetank. Said tank has preferably a round bottom, and revoluhle in the tankon a shaft 4, is an agitator scraper 5 adapted to keep `Ithe caramel inagitation and scraped from the wall of the tank, so that all of thecaramel may be uniformily heated and kept in the desired liquid stateand temperature. Within the jacket 6 of the tank is oil F, heated bysuitable burners 7 supplied with fuel from a suitable .source of supply.Said burners heat the oil and in this manner uniformly apply heat to thewall of the tank 'to heat the caramel. Caramel coating isl much thickerand stiekier than chocolate and therefore much harder to handle, butvery easily and conveniently handled by the means herein described, andalso very easily controlled. A feed pipe 8 leads from thel bottom of thetank 1 to a suitable pump 9, and connected with said pump and leading toavfeeder or distributing hopper 10 is a Lacasse 12 designates a drivingshaft having a tight and loose pulleyl wheel` 13 and 14 thereon to beconnected bya belt 15 leading toa suitable source of power. To saidshaft is connected a small pulley wheel 16 operating a belt 17 driving alarger pulley wheel 18 on the agitator scraper shaft 4 in the tank 1.

Also on said shaft 12 is secured a gear wheel 19 meshing with a gearwheel 2O carried on a vshaft 21 to which is connected a crank 22connected with a pitman bar or rod 23, in turn connected to a cross-head24 movable up and down on a guide-rod 25. And to the cross-head 24 isconnected the pump actuating rod 26, see Figure 4.l

The feeder or distributing hopper 10 for the caramel is preferablysuspended from a super-structure 27, located above and at the inner endof the frame 2 within which is supported the tanki 1, and said hopper 10and structure 27 may be enclosed or covered by a removableframe-covering 28. Below .the hopper 10 and above the open upper portionof the tank 1 is a conveyer 29, best seen l in Figures 5 and 6. Saidconveyer preferably lies above the rear half portion of the tank 1, asshown. l prefer to `construct the conveyer 29 Ain the manner shown inFigures 6 and 7. lt includes preferably, the` endless side chains 30connected by the transversely disposed rods .31 spaced at suitabledistances apart and on which rest and are moved theI candy centers orcores A, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 6. lhe opposite chains 30travel yover sprocket wheels 32 carried on a driving shaft-33 at thefront end and shafts i l33 at' the rear end. On the shaftv 33 is car'-ried a pulleyvwheel 34 operated by a belt 35 from a pulley wheel 36 on across-shaft 37 to which lisv secured a pulley wheel 38 operated by abelt 39 from a pulley wheel 4()V on the driving shaft 12. lt is to beobserved that the shafts 33 do not cross within the conveyer 29, butthat the shaft 37 does, it being preferably located approximately:midway the length ofthe conveyer 29 and just to the rear of the lowerdischarge end of the hopper 10, see Figure 4. @n the shaft 37 is aroller. or drum 41 with which the uper 0run of the conveyer rods 88contact. ift is vdesirable and important that there be no obstructionswithin the conveyer 29, at the rear end', which would be the case if theshafts 33 were lcarried through. This prevents carriers for the carameland does away with obstructions which vwould otherwise prevent aI freedrip of the surplus caramel back into the tank 1. Also the drum orroller 41 midway the conveyer and just to yand provide for, the completeenrobing of the candy centers or cores A as they are moved beneath thehopper 10 and across the drum or roller 41. The rear or discharge end ofthe conveyer 29 is at the rear en d of the tank 1 and frame 2, seeFigure 4,

The conveyer structure 29 and its location in relation to the tank 1 issomewhat similar -to like structures in well known types of candyenrobing machines, except that the present conveyer is more of an opentype, as explained, and it travels faster so as to insure a completethrow-off of the caramel coated centers or covers where they passthrough the shower of nuts, cocoanut or raisins into the tumbler.

The feeder or distributing hopper 10 lies above and across the fullwidth ofthe conveyer 29, see Figure 5 and is provided with acontrollable shutter 42 adjustable upand down on the inside of the frontwall of said hopper 10, to control the flow of the caramel therefrom,discharged thereinto from the Jfeed pipe 11. Said hopper is furtherprovided with a screen 43, at or near its upper end through which thecaramel must pass into the hopper and is for the purpose ofvintercepting heavy particles and extraneous matter which might clog ortend to clog the outlet at the bottom of the hopper, controlled by theshutter 42. A drain pipe 44 for the tank 1 is provided connected Withthe pipe 8, see Figure 5. l

44 designates a frame work in which is supported a hopper 45 having avalve regulated outlet 46, and adjustably suspended in front. of saidhopper and adapted to receive and direct the discharge of materialstherefrom, is a spout 47. The discharge end of said spout is adjustableacross the path of discharge of the caramel coated Vcenters or cores Afrom the conveyer 29 as they are fed to the tumbler chute or conveyer 48supported at an inclination downwardly and rearwardly from the dischargeend of the conveyer 29, see Figures 1 and 4. The hopper 45 contains thenuts, cocoanuts, raisins or the like, providing the covering for thecaramel coated centers A, and when the valve 46 is raised the materialsare fed by gravity from the' hopper 45 into thev chute 47 and from thechute into the upper end of the tumbler chute or conveyer 48. The bottomof the latter is stepped, as shown at 49, Figure 4, whereby as thecaramel coated centers A after passing through the shower of materialdischarged from the spout 47 will tumble andturn, at the same'time movein the direction of the flow of the material through the chute orconveyer and insure the/material adhering to the exposed caramelsurfaces of the centers, not covered asv said centers pass thro-ugh theshower of material from the spout 47.' Connected tothe lower end of thechute or conveyer l48 is an up-r 'wardly inclined chute 50 throughlwhichmoves an endless conveyer 51. This conveyer receives the materialsflowing down through the chute 48, as well as the covered caramel coatedcenters, in which the latter tend to roll as they are conveyed to theupper end of the chute l50 and further insure a complete covering of theexposed caramel surfaces of the centers. Between the shower of materialfrom the spout 47 and the passage of the caramel coated centers in thetumbler 48, and as they are conveyed upwardly through the chute 50 itwill be apparent that'all the exposed surfaces of the caramel coatedcenters will collect materials for covering. At the discharge end of thechute 50 is a hopper 52 covered by a'grid 53, see Figure 3. The coveredcenters and surplus material from the conveyer 51 will be dischargedonto this grid, the materials passing through the grid intothe .hopperand the covered centers passing over the grid and being discharged 4ontothe conveyer table 54, see Figure 2, o r like member, by means of whichthe finished or semifinished articles, as the case may '.be, may bedelivered to aV desirable point. lf the covered articles are to beenrobed or coated with a coating of chocolate, they will be passed fromthe conve er table to a suitable enrobing machine. T e conveyer 51 isoperated by a belt 55 from a pulley wheel 56 on the cross-shaft 87, seeFigure 6 and the conveyer table 54 is operated from the belt 55 througha belt 57 arranged and operated in the manner seen in Figures 1, 2 and3. l provide for the return of the surplus materials deposited in thehopper 52, to the hopper 45. This is accomplished through f and by meansof an endless cup elevator 58 arranged to receive the discharge of thematerial from the hopper 52 and convey it to and discharge the same intothe hopper 45. Said cup conveyer being driven by a belt 59 operated by apulley wheel 60 on the crossshaft 37 and operating a pulley-wheel 61`connected to the head end of the cup elevator, see Figure 1. I

The candy centers or cores A are delivered to the conveyer 29 of theapparatus by means 115 vof a well known type of conveyer 62, seen by abelt 65 engaging a pulley wheel 6601 -l i3()A f s incassa eratedby apulley wheel 67 on said shaft l2; rll`he shaft 64, pulley Wheel 66 andbelt 65 being shown in dotted lines in Figures l and t. rlhe chutes t8and 50, the hopper 52, grid 53 and cup elevator are all suitablysupported from the frame vvork al, as shown. What l claim is 1. rlheprocess of coating candy centers and enveloping said coated centers withma' terials, which consists in continuously moving said centers andduring such movement subjecting the same, rst to a coating ot plasticmaterial to enrobe said centers and then Without apprecliably coolingenvelop-l ing said enrobed centers with a multiplicity or edible units.y

2. 'lhe process ofcoating candy centers and enveloping said coatedcenters with materials, which consists incontinuously moving saidcenters and during such movement ,subjecting the same, irst to a coatingoiJ4 plastic material `to enrobe said centers and then Withoutappreciably cooling subjecting said enrobed centers to coveringmaterials suclilas nuts and enveloping said enrobed centers with suchmaterials.

3. Th process ci coating candy centers,

which consists in continuously moving said centers and during suchmovement subjecting the same, irst to a pre-heated plastic coating toenrobe said centers and the centers are moved and Without appreciablycooling applying to and/ enveloping the enrobed centers with amultiplicity of edible units.

d. The process of coating candy centers and enveloping said coatedcenters with materials, which consists in continuously mov= ing saidcenters through 'a coating or plastic material to rst enrobe saidcenters; thence through a'shower of units ot suitable materialepartially enveloping said enrobed centers; thence moving and.commingling said materials and enrobed centers to completely terials tothe point ot'shower.

(l. lln an apparatus ot the character described, in combination, meansfor moving kcandy centers, means for enrobing said centers with acoating of plastic material as they are moved, and means for envelopingthe enrobed centers with a multiplicity of edible units during themovement of said centers.

7. ln an apparatus of the character deascribed, in combination, means:tor moving' candy centers, means for enrobing said centers with acoating of plastic material as they are moved, and means forenvelopingthe enrobed centers with nuts, during the' movement of said enrobedcenters..v

8. ln an apparatus ot the character described, in combination, means formoving candy centers, means for enrobing saidicenters with a coating ofplastic material as they are moved; means for showering the enrobedcenters with units of suitable materials and partially covering saidenrobed centers therewith; means rtor moving and commingling thepartially covered and enrobed centers and the material Lto completelyenvelop said centers with such material, and means for separating theenveloped centers from the surplus material.

9., ln an apparatus ol' he character described, in combination, meansfor movingcandy centers, means for enrobing said cene ters with acoating of plastic material as they are moved; means tor showering saidenrobed centers with units ot suitable materials, during the movement ofsaid centers and partially covering said enrobed centers With suchmaterials; a tumbling means adapted to receive said showered centers andmaterials and to cause a commingling of the same to completely envelopsaid enrobed centers with such materials; meanstto separate theenveloped centers Jfrom the surplus materials, and means to conveythesurplus materials from the pointv of separation of the enveloped centersto the showering means.

l0. ln an apparatus ot the character described, in combination, meansfor supplying a pre-heated plastic material for enrobing candy centers,means for conveying said centers andenrobing the same With saidpreheated material as said centers are conveyed, means forsupplying-nuts to said enrobed centers, means for regulating said supplyof nuts, means for commingling said enrobedf centers and said nuts,whereby said materials will collect such nuts and envelop such enrobedcenters,and means orseparating said enveloped centers from the surplusnuts.

il. ln an apparatus of the character described, in combination with acontinuously operating coating means for enrobing sandy centers with aplastic material, of means for enveloping said enrobed centers With aizo multiplicity fof edible units, and means to separate the envelopedcenters and the surplus edible ts. l2. lln an apparatus oit thecharacter scribed, in combination with a/continuously operating meansfor enrobing candy centers with plastic material, of means to conveysaid enrobed centers, means to supply nuts in the path of travel of saidenrobed centers and to commngle the same during the conveying of saidcenters, during which perod the nuts adhere to and completely envelopsuch enrobed centers, and means to separate the enveloped centers fromthe surplus nuts.

In witness whereof, l havel hereunto affixed my hand this 24th day ofApril, 1923.

